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Our Bureau

Visakhapatnam , Oct 7

THE tendency of the Visakhapatnam port authorities to reduce the number of permanent employees and hire contract labour even for jobs of a permanent nature is deplorable, Mr D.K. Sarma, the Additional General Secretary, All-India Port & Dock Workers' Federation, affiliated to the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, has said.

Mr Sarma said at a press conference here on Friday that at present there were 5,400 regular employees and 1,100 contract workers in the Vizag port.

"In fact, the work done now by the contract workers used to be done in the past by permanent ones. Maintenance of cranes, tugs and launches is a permanent work in a major port such as Visakhapatnam, but it is now outsourced," he said.

A similar trend was visible in the other major ports too and it should be resisted by all unions, he said.

Mr Sarma was also critical of the new maritime policy, which envisages heavy inflow of foreign direct investment for the development of major ports.

"It is estimated that Rs 16,000 crore is needed for the development of 11 major ports in the country and the port trusts are in a position to mobilise half of it. For the rest, the financial institutions in the country or abroad should be approached and there is no need for FDI," he opined.

Citing the example of the Paradip port, he said the port authorities had obtained a loan from the Asian Development Bank to build the coal handling complex.

He expressed the apprehension that the large-scale entry of private players in the port sector might jeopardise the security of the country.

Privatising the operation of Kakinada deepwater port, with three berths, was also not a wise decision of the State Government, as the future of several thousands of workers in the old anchorage port was at stake, he added.

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